galarza strikes early | paraguay knock turkey out of world cup with 1-0 win
MATCH INFO
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Turkey 0-1 Paraguay
Date: June 20, 2026
Competition: FIFA World Cup - Group D
Venue: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium
A historic and dramatic Group D clash at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium saw 10-man Paraguay secure a courageous 1-0 win over Turkey. Matías Galarza's record-breaking early goal and a resolute second-half defensive masterclass ensured Paraguay's World Cup hopes stay alive, while sending the Crescent-Stars packing.
Goals
- Minute 2 Matías Galarza finish: 0-1 Paraguay. What a start! Just 64 seconds into the match, Galarza capitalizes on a defensive error, winds up from 25 yards out, and fires a low rocket into the bottom corner. The fastest goal of the tournament!
How It Went
It was a classic attack-versus-defense battle marked by early shock and unprecedented VAR drama. Paraguay struck like lightning when Galarza punished a Turkish defensive error right from the kickoff. However, the momentum completely shifted in first-half stoppage time when Miguel Almirón was shown a straight red card after a VAR review caught him covering his mouth during a confrontation with Mert Müldür—the very first application of FIFA's strict new tournament rule regarding such conduct.
Desperate to save their World Cup campaign, Vincenzo Montella's Turkish squad laid absolute siege to the Paraguayan goal in the second half. Turkey commanded nearly 80% of the possession and registered an astonishing 32 attempts on goal. Müldür came agonizingly close to equalizing when his header rattled both the crossbar and the upright, but Paraguay’s 10-man defensive wall and goalkeeper Orlando Gill refused to break.
Quick Take
- Turkey's World Cup dream is officially over, becoming the first team eliminated after back-to-back group stage defeats.
- Matías Galarza's 64-second screamer takes the crown for the fastest goal of the tournament.
- Almirón's red card made history as the first time the new FIFA transparency rule on mouth-covering was strictly enforced.
- Paraguay's heroic defensive masterclass secures them 3 vital points and keeps their knockout stage dreams alive.